4 ways to go the extra mile on your graduate job interview

Need to impress your interviewer so you can secure your dream graduate job? There are a number of steps you can take for the interview to ensure that you make a great impression. But here are some tips on how to blow them out of the water and how you can outshine the competition by a mile!

Research & preparation

It goes without saying for a candidate to be successful in an graduate job interview, they must be prepared. Going above and beyond from a general understanding to a more in-depth knowledge of how the company works, what their services are, what makes them stand out and what they’re up to makes you stand out as a candidate.

Start by scouring the company’s website, articles on news and recent events about the company, their blog, social media platforms and get a taste of the culture. It’s important to know the company’s strengths, its community reach, its competitors and how it’s doing in its field. Prepare questions to ask relating to aspects of the company you do not quite understand. Know the key players of the organization and familiar with their services, clients and products. Being knowledgeable of the company will increase confidence and tell the interviewer that you are taking the interview process seriously. 

Prepare a presentation for an interview

Preparing a presentation is often not a mandatory aspect of an interview, but having one shows you are willing to go above and beyond and put effort into a potential job. A presentation illustrates your work ethic and level of effort. To help sell your presentation, you can amass visuals and make a short power point or PDF. Maybe if you see a space to do things differently or thought of a way to better an existing idea you could pitch the idea, and the things you would do differently or change. This shows you’re invested in the company and role and demonstrates what you will bring to the company. 

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Engage

Engage with small talk & stories, ask engaging and insightful questions and foster a conversation instead of a detached question and answer session. You are talking to a person who also wants to make a connection and hire an individual that they can see themselves working in the same environment with. You need to connect with your interviewer and appear relatable, so the interviewer can believe you can carry over the relatability to the role and amongst other co-workers. Being engaging is important but it is equally vital to stay engaged with what your interviewer is saying and asking. Listening to your interviewer allows you to build a rapport with them and elicits the interviewer's attention. 

Follow up with a "thank you" email

Your follow-up thank you email is an opportunity to connect with your interviewer beyond the interview and reiterate your interest. Even if you think an offer is in the works for you, you can always improve your chances and solidify your position by sending a short but sweet note within a day of the interview. This keeps you at the forefront of the interviewer’s mind when deciding who they will be hiring. Express your interest in the job position through the follow up thank you email as well as communicating your gratitude for the opportunity to interview with the company. A follow up thank you email can be the deciding factor on getting you the job offer!